Panasonic has announced the new Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 Ultra-Wide-Angle Lens.
The 18mm f/1.8 was designed to be a sleek and compact full-frame lens for use with L-mount mirrorless cameras. It’s 18mm focal length makes it suitable for a wide array of applications. The f/1.8 maximum aperture offers shallow depth of field control, and the nine-blade circular aperture is claimed to be able to create a soft, beautiful bokeh effect.
The optical design of the lens comprises thirteen lens elements in twelve groups. It includes three aspherical elements, three extra-low dispersion elements, one ultra extra-low dispersion element, and one ultra-high refractive index element. This design is claimed to effectively suppress chromatic aberration. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of about 7″.
For anyone shooting video with the lens, Panasonic has included a linear focus ring control that allows the focus to move at a constant speed in accordance with the rotating angle of the focus ring. The lens is claimed to feature a silent autofocus mechanism that suppresses focus breathing. Smooth exposure changes can be made via the micro-step aperture control.
The lens has the same approximate size, weight, and filter size as other f/1.8 S-series prime lenses to minimize balance reset time when using a gimbal. It features a dust, moisture, and freeze-resistant design for increased protection from the elements.
The Panasonic Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 Ultra-Wide-Angle Lens retails for $999.99 USD and it is now available to pre-order.
Matthew Allard is a multi-award-winning, ACS accredited freelance Director of Photography with 30 years' experience working in more than 50 countries around the world. He is the Editor of Newsshooter.com and has been writing on the site since 2010. Matthew has won 43 ACS Awards, including four prestigious Golden Tripods. In 2016 he won the Award for Best Cinematography at the 21st Asian Television Awards. Matthew is available to hire as a DP in Japan or for work anywhere else in the world.
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